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The Underworld
The Realms Beyond The World The Underworld is a collective term for all the lands beyond the dark portals where the evil races live and worship the dark gods. Dungeon Keepers recruit the majority of their minions and buy provisions in the Underworld city states. While the regions of the Underworld are as diverse and various as the lands of the surface world, they share some common traits. Most prominent is the absence of a visible sky, the stars and the sun. Because of this it is widely accepted fact that the Underworld is a different world or even several different worlds altogether. Nevertheless they should not be confused with the Dark Realms. The Underworld is a material dimension close to the Surface World and appears to follow the same laws of nature (as far as can be said) while Dark Realms are far removed from that and - from what can be gathered from the few individuals who escaped this place - doesn't follow the laws mortals are used to. The Portal Network Connecting these countless realms (or "layers" as refereed to by some scholars) is the mysterious and ancient Portal Network. The first recorded appearance of these portals goes hand in hand with the appearance of the Dark Races on Zyreema, predating the War of Worlds, The Great Catyclyzam and the even the long forgotten Gigantomanchina. They have been used to connect Zyreema to the The Underworld and connect the layers of the Underworld to one another for as long as any could remember. As such, these Portals are of high importance both as symbols, and as strategic and logistical assets. Without them trade between Underworld cities is downright impossible and Dungeon Keepers on Zyreema would have nowhere to spend all the wealth they amass from their raids and mining operations. The Network is very complex, each Portal (which looks like an elaborate stone circle with several meters across) can be activated with an initial surge of mana. Every Portal can connect to exactly three other Portals and the magical gate it forms will remain open for a certain period of time before closing automatically. A lot is unknown about the Portals and very few people actually know how to create and maintain them, most of them receiving the knowledge as a Boon from the Dark Gods. Fewer still are aware of the labyrinthine and ever changing state of the network. Portals are destroyed by Good and created by Evil whenever the opportunity presents itself and the knowledge of which portals one portal connects to can become outdated or lost to time very easily. On Zyreema, Dungeon Keepers seek to gain control of Portals whenever possible and some even allow passage trough their domain - for a toll. Known regions Hot Lake City, The Orc Bastion On a big crag inside a lake of lava lies a sturdy fortress carved from the rock that appears red from the hot glow. Any traveler must first cross a thin and treacherous stone bridge barely wide enough for a wagon only to be greeted by thick walls and tall towers. Behind every arrow slit archer keep a watchful eye on the traffic below. The current ruler of this city is probably the strongest orcish warlord alive and he has managed to survive every putsch for the last decade. Fungarion, The City Beneath The Mushroom Dark elves have built this city under the hood of an enormous mushroom. Its spores glow in a dim, blueish light, turning this place into eternal dusk. Visitors are only permitted in the merchant's district. Any crime or even slight offense against the laws are immediately and harshly punished - usually by an arrow or crossbow bolt to the eye. For that reason, there are guard towers and erased platforms at every corner. A small number of royal houses fight for the right to rule this place. Paradise City A pleasure city like no other, Paradise is a place where you can get anything so long as you have the coin. For those seeking to spend their fortune or to earn it Paradise provides a plethora of establishments to cater to every vice, desire and kink a mortal creature could feasibly imagine (and several catered for immortals specifically). The Merchant Lords of the city make sure that public order maintained and guarantee a certain amount of freedom for those doing business, provided they pay their dues of course. Behind the scenes however this city is run by one authority and one authority alone, that even the wealthiest and most well connected of the city can not dispute - a mysterious individual known as the Grand Merchant. The Goblin Caves A big ragged vaguely dome-shaped cave is the center of a network of tunnels and smaller chambers mostly populated by goblins. Nobody has ever managed to stay in charge long enough to establish anything even vaguely resembling basic law, much less enforce it. The Echo Fluorescent plants glowing in blueish, greenish or violet colors grow on the barren and black rock, but their light doesn't reach far, as if it was sucked away by the air itself. Seemingly endless plains are broken up by bottomless ravines or oceans of nothingness. Every noise appears muffled but at the same time creates an eerie echo. On their short trip from one portal to another, the party has found no signs of life but the plants. The Nil'Kay Jungles A place avoided by most sane people (and by a majority of the insane people as well). Not a large place by the standards of the rest of the Underworld, but it is densely populated by all manner of Demonic Beasts and hazardous magically-infused plant life. Some Underworld cities periodically hire people to clean it up from larger threats to make it possible to harvest some of the more useful materials and regents that can be found there. Underworld Creatures Pumbloom Evil in nature, but to lazy and weak to do anything. About a foot long, some say there's a giant one lurking in an old well, too fat to climb out, but that's just an urban legend. Category:Underworld Category:Campaign World Category:Setting